Erin Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 So at first I thought she was shedding an inordinate amount and just chalked it up to nerves, changing of the season, whatever. No big deal... But three weeks later, she's STILL shedding and her hair's starting to get a little thin!! Not to the point that anyone else would notice, but I do. And when I asked her she said well she thought maybe so but, "I'm a little young to go bald, aren't I?" Fundamental piece of info: She had strep at the end of January for about 2 weeks and we had a devil of a time getting her temp under control. She also developed scarlet fever AFTER the strep cleared. I know I've read that kids can lose some (or all!) of their hair after a high fever (up to 16 weeks later), but how high is "high?" She's not really exhibiting anything else thyroid-related so I'm not leaning that direction... Please tell me someone else has experience with this... :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy7 Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I have not had personal experience with what you are dealing with. However, I have been reading a lot about Celiac Disease. I have seen loss of hair like you mention as a symptom. It would be worth checking out because it is an auto immune issue. So, when a person with Celiac eats wheat...even a small amount it causes physical damage to their intestines....all sorts of issues. Some do not present with GI symptoms, but can even be asymptomatic. Just food for thought. Blessings, Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 oooh.... :sad: I have what the doc suspects is celiac... (but I refuse to be tested because I would have to be back on gluten for 2 months! And I can't stand that kind of misery) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ipsey Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Could be alopecia. My oldest son lost 1/3 of his hair when he was about 7. Enormous bald patches over his head. It eventually grew back and it's nice and thick and he may never relapse. Of course, he might relapse. . . but we're keeping an optimistic outlook But alopecia was my first thought. It's genetic, apparently. They just identified the genetic marker several years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Has she ever had a thyroid test? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonesinIndiana Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I can't speak to strep, but the stress of strep AND scarlet fever on a body could cause hair loss. The body will react to stress in different ways: headaches or migraines, diarrhea, vomiting, teeth grinding, etc. I think hair loss especially with a high fever is possible. I've had hair loss during stressful times. My hair was noticeably thinner but I didn't have bald spots, thank goodness. It eventually grew thicker again. I've noticed if I don't take vitamin D regularly, I have more hair shedding in the shower and in hairbrushes. Maybe you could talk to her MD/pediatrician if it continues. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 Has she ever had a thyroid test? No, but like I said, there's not really anything else going on that makes me think thyroid. However, she ALSO gets rashes that look a lot like this: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/1406.htm I've always assume an allergic reaction, but it's usually a pretty short duration so I never connected it to anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 It can be strep related... After my dd4 had strep and went through 2 bouts of antibiotics I thought she was fine. About 2 weeks later she said she wanted to show me her 'dinosaur fingernail.' I looked and totally freaked. EVERY.SINGLE.FINGERNAIL. And all but one toenail were falling off! She said it wasn't painful, and there was fresh new pink nail underneath but I freaked. We are vegetarian and all I could think was some strange dietary thing I had missed, lol. I made an appointment for the next morning, but that night when I gave her a bath A LOT of hair was lost. It was a horrible night, but the next day at the doctor I wa reassured that whilst it is not completely common, it does happen. Ugh. I would still take her to be checked though, just for peace of mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Yes! I forgot about it but after my daughter had mono she lost gobs of hair. It grew back. Zinc helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 It sounds like you need to check for celiac. While they are at it, I would ask for a full thyroid panel too. It doesn't hurt to check. I was shocked when I found out I was hypothyroid. I didn't consider myself symptomatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 No, but like I said, there's not really anything else going on that makes me think thyroid. However, she ALSO gets rashes that look a lot like this: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/1406.htm I've always assume an allergic reaction, but it's usually a pretty short duration so I never connected it to anything. Oops, sorry -- I just realized that you addressed the thyroid issue in your original post. Is the rash on her head? I have heard that zinc helps with some hair falling-out problems, as another poster mentioned. I don't know what the rash is about. I would probably see a doctor. I will add that I had thyroid problems and felt great! My ONLY symptom was shedding hair like crazy. (But I don't think that's your daughter's problem.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 Nope, the rash is usually arms, legs, face, abdomen... But when I was Googling celiac hair loss, that exact type of rash came up as one of the celiac symptoms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Nope, the rash is usually arms, legs, face, abdomen... But when I was Googling celiac hair loss, that exact type of rash came up as one of the celiac symptoms. Yes! That rash is considered a huge red flag for celiac. Depending on who you read, I think some people consider those rashes to be diagnostic all by themselves. Celiac testing gives a lot of false negatives. If my child had rashes confirmed to be that kind of rash, there would be no hemming and hawing...they would be going GF, although I would at least try the non-invasive tests first. (I am gluten free and won't eat gluten to get tested either.) I wouldn't be surprised if strep/scarlet fever pushed her over the edge since celiac disease is autoimmune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splash Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 After my daughters stay in the hospital, days of high fever plus much, much more her hair started falling out in large handfuls. Doctor said it was probably stress related. She had her take vit D3 and Biotin. Her hair is all back now and not falling out like that any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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